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By Tevita Motulalo NUKU‘ALOFA, Tonga (Taimi Media Network, , 2011) – New Zealand’s (NZ) High Commissioner to Tonga, His Excellency (H.E.) Dr Jonathan Austin has denied statements made by "pro-democracy" Member of Parliament (MP) ‘Akilisi Pohiva that the New Zealand government is unhappy with nomination of a Noble as the Prime Minister of Tonga.

NZ High Commissioner to Tonga, H.E. Dr. Jonathan Austin says his country congratulates the Prime Minister and remains a friend to the new government.

In a phone interview with the Tonga Chronicle, Dr. Austin says there is no such dissatisfaction.

"I haven’t spoken to ‘Akilisi, [but] the position of New Zealand regarding the election is as thought, excellent!" he said.

Pohiva recently stated that the governments of Australia and New Zealand are "unhappy" and "hate" the result of...

By Godwin Ligo PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, Jan. 6, 2011) – The entire health systems in Vanuatu will be audited following a Council of Ministers (COM) decision made just before Christmas 2010.

The Council’s decision called for the Minister for Justice and Community Services to set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate why there was drastic shortage of drugs supply for the whole country in 2010 particularly the Vila Central Hospital, which is the largest and busiest referral hospital in the country.

The Council of Ministers directed that the members of the Commission of Inquiry include a private doctor, and once established that the Commission will set out its terms of reference including, the time frame to complete the inquiry as required by the government and present the report back to the Council of Ministers for decision.

PALAU’S ANGAUR STATE SWEARS IN FEMALE GOVERNOR Gates-Meltel wants officials to work together

By Jose SeÃ±ase - For Variety

KOROR, Palau (Marianas Variety, Jan. 7, 2011 — Maria Gates-Meltel was sworn in as the new governor of Angaur at the Palau Supreme Court on New Year’s Day.

Gates-Meltel took her oath of office before Senior Judge Quay Polloi in a ceremony attended by other officials, family members and supporters.

Palau President Johnson Toribiong, Vice President Kerai Mariur, Sen. Paul Ueki, Sen. Kathy Kesolei, Angaur Delegate Horace Rafael, Minister of State Victor Yano and former Ngaremlengui Gov. John Skebong joined high chiefs, state legislators and other dignitaries who witnessed the ceremony.

In her inaugural speech, Gates-Meltel stressed the need for elected officials to work together for the benefit of their constituents.

"We need to put politics aside and come and work together to further develop and improve our state," she...

By Fili Sagapolutele PAGO PAGO, American Samoa, (Samoa News, Jan. 5, 2011) – Following a meeting in American Samoa on Monday between the Chamber of Commerce and Governor Togiola Tulafono, the local business organization has agreed to poll local merchants to obtain data on price and availability of basic goods in the territory, said Chamber chairman David Whitby.

The meeting came a week after the Chamber said in a statement that it does not agree with the governor’s plan being reviewed for possible price control, saying it will do more harm than good for American Samoa.

Whitby said yesterday that he, along with Chamber vice Chair Hobbs Lowson, met with the governor on Monday along with a number of his cabinet directors and that the meeting was productive.

At the meeting the "Chamber agreed to poll its wholesale and retail members to obtain historical data on prices and availability for some of the...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Jan. 6, 2011) – It is being reported in Tahiti that fresh complaints have been laid against a former president, Gaston Flosse, in connection with his now defunct intelligence unit.

The Nouvelles de Tahiti says last month, a lawyer, Annie Rousseau, and a magazine publisher, Alex du Prel, lodged a complaint for abuse of public funds for running the unit.

This comes as the judicial authorities in Tahiti again deferred a reply to the lawyer acting for Mr Flosse, who had asked for his client to be no longer investigated over the espionage claims.

A decision is now to be made on February 1st on whether to sustain the charges that Mr Flosse was complicit in violating the privacy of several individuals by running an intelligence service.

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, Jan. 7, 2011)—CNMI Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan was sworn in yesterday for a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives and his first official act as a member of the 112th Congress came in the form of a challenge to the Republican majority to live up to its pledge of participative democracy by not taking away his right to vote in the committee of the whole.

Sablan also introduced two pet measures-the submerged lands bill and the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Act-that didn't make it during his first term in the 111th Congress.

Soon after their noontime swearing in, the House leadership under Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) moved to adopt new House rules that, among other changes, would strip away the right of representatives of U.S. territories and the District of Columbia from voting whenever the House acts as a committee of the whole.

HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, Jan. 7, 2011) – If the damage done at the Guam State Clearinghouse isn't illegal, it should be, according to the island's new lieutenant governor.

While his office was still reeling from the recent discovery that federal grant records kept at the clearinghouse office appeared to be tampered with, Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio yesterday said computers at the office were blanked or locked with unknown passwords and paper records are in indecipherable disarray.

Tenorio said there appeared to be a deliberate effort to undermine the incoming Guam State Clearinghouse, which could disrupt efforts to spend grant money or apply for more grant money.

"I don't know if any section of law applies to this. We are not dealing with somebody stealing a pen. We are talking about something where you destroy information or make information inaccessible to a government entity," Tenorio...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Jan. 6, 2011) – Furious landowner leaders who missed out on the Business Development Grants (BDGs) yesterday welcomed the probe ordered by Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal but warned that there could be serious problems if the investigations does not conclusively address their concerns.

They said many genuine claimants whose very livelihood was affected by the PNG LNG project missed out completely while others outside the project sites walked away with millions.

At least two groups want the government to pay them K10 million each in seed capital and are pressing to make their stand known while others simply want to be paid what they submitted for.

PDL1 People’s Investment Ltd Chairman Andagali Kurubugo who is the Chief of the Hiwa Koma people who holds title to 70 per cent of the 32,400...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Jan. 6, 2011) – In Papua New Guinea, former Deputy Prime Minister and Abau Member of Parliament (MP) Sir Puka Temu is driving a wedge right through the middle of the Government ranks that may cause the downfall of Sir Michael Somare as Prime Minister (PM).

Sir Puka will nominate the man sacked by Sir Michael as Deputy Prime Minister, Don Polye to be the alternate Prime Minister in the looming no-confidence motion against the government.

Mr. Polye is the deputy leader of the ruling National Alliance for the Highlands region and member for Kandep Open. Mr. Polye was appointed Foreign Affairs and Immigrations Minister by Sir Michael, but to date, he has not taken up his portfolio.

And sources close to Mr. Polye told the Post-Courier last night that the Kandep MP could seriously consider the nomination as alternate Prime Minister to the affirmative. Mr....

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.